Kansas Food Bank blog

Largest, Most Comprehensive Analysis of Charitable Food Assistance in America Reports more than 215,000 Served by Kansas Food Bank Annually

A new study by the Kansas Food Bank and Feeding America shows that 1 in 7 people, or an estimated 215,300 people, in the Kansas Food Bank’s service area turn to food pantries and meal service programs to feed themselves and their families. This includes 68,900 children and 19,900 seniors.

The Hunger in America 2014 local findings show that 22,100 people are served each week by agencies supported through the Kansas Food Bank. Accounting for multiple agency visits, 1,468,900 clients turned to Kansas Food Bank network agencies over the course of the year. This means clients are visiting Kansas Food Bank network agencies an average of 7 times a year.

The study documents household demographics and offers a snapshot of the people served by the Kansas Food Bank – their circumstances, the challenges they face and the choices they are forced to make living on extremely limited household incomes. It is also the first nationally-representative study that assesses the prevalence of past and current members of the U.S. Military and adult students receiving charitable food assistance.

According to Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, milk is one of the items most requested by food bank clients, yet there is a nationwide shortage because it is rarely donated. That will soon change, thanks to The Great American Milk Drive, the first-ever national program to help deliver highly desired and nutrient-rich gallons of milk to hungry families who need it most.

Hunger impacts 1 in 6 Americans, including 12.5 million families who do not have access to adequate nourishment to help them reach their full potential. Hunger has no boundaries and is a problem that exists in urban, suburban and rural communities.

Map the Meal Gap shows how hunger impacts every county in the country. With its network of more than 200 food banks and 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters throughout the country, Feeding America helps provide food to families in need – including many in Kansas.

It’s been a challenge for Feeding America to meet the demand for milk due to the lack of donations – canned goods and other non-perishable items are more likely to be donated. Now, it’s going to be easier for Kansas residents to lend a hand and contribute nutritious milk to food insecure families.

With a simple click of a mouse (www.milklife.com/give) or text message (text “Milk” to 27722), it will now be possible to buy much-needed milk and donate it for as little as $5.00 to a family who does not have regular access to milk. By entering your zip code, you can ensure that the milk is delivered from the farm to the Kansas Food Bank.

Our friends at Taco Bell and Pizza Hut have joined us for the “Be a Child Hunger Hero” promotion. Running July 16, 2014 to August 12, 2014 participating restaurants are encouraging their guests to help local children in their community who experience hunger. Guests can donate $1, $3, $5 or the amount of their choice while dining at Taco Bell or Pizza Hut. And guests can even donate at the drive thru!

All funds raised will be utilized for the Food 4 Kids weekend backpack program. Be on the lookout for specially marked signs in your community and “Be a Child Hunger Hero” today!

Brian and Frank made the trip down to Baxter Springs today taking some much needed supplies to our agency at Trinity Worship Center. They are a soup kitchen and pantry that serves a hot meal to the community every Monday through Friday. Normally, they serve about 180 meals a night, including many take-home meals for the home-bound, disabled, and elderly in their community. To meet the need, they are now open and serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It was a bit chaotic yesterday morning as you might imagine, but for lunch they had between 500 and 600 hot meals served, and 300 some served for dinner, all while running their freezers on generators waiting for the power to be restored. From one of the members of their team of fantastic volunteers: “We’re doers, but this being right in the middle of friends, family, and loved ones is hard in a different way. We’ll do it all joyfully, but being held up in prayer right now would be such a blessing.” Please keep them, and the victims of this disaster, in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward with recovery efforts.

The National Letter Carriers Food Drive was a success again this year collecting over 300,000 pounds of food for the Kansas Food Bank and our partner agencies. Our “THANKS” to everyone who donated and participated. This is the largest one day food drive that helps stock pantry shelves for the busy summer months.

Spring Break is here! The Kansas Food Bank and Partners for Wichita are gearing up to provide meals to children across Wichita. We know that for some children, the meal they get at school may be the only real meal of the day. Vacations from school can be a difficult time for a child who depends on that school lunch. Filling the Gap will help by providing meals to children between March 17th and March 21st.

We are still accepting donations of individually packed healthy snacks and fresh fruit!

Click Here for a map of the sites that will be providing meals this spring break.

During spring break Partners for Wichita and the Kansas Food Bank will serve 5040 meals to hunger children through Filling the Gap. In preparation, the Kansas Food bank needs volunteers to pick up the meals & snacks at our warehouse and deliver the items to our feeding sites. Volunteer groups are able to pick from our available routes and dock times to fit their schedules. Once a route is chosen the group will arrive at our warehouse to load the meals & snacks then deliver to their assigned sites. Site hosts will meet the volunteers at the sites and help unload. 9 routes are available.

Filling the Gap Volunteer Opportunities

Transport meals & snacks to sites prior to Spring Break

Requirements:

Needs to have own transportation that can accommodate cases of meals & snacks i.e. truck, van, or SUV

This past year was exceptionally busy for us at the Kansas Food Bank and we would like to take this time to extend our heartfelt thanks to each and every one who helped us.

To our donors: your financial support means so much to us. We are honored that you believe in us and and trust that your dollars are put to good use.

To our volunteers: you make our work go so quickly. We could not do what we do without the countless hours you spend helping us.

To our food drive coordinators: you help us collect food that us so greatly needed. Every can, every box makes such a difference.

To our food donors: your donations put missing meals on the table for children, families and seniors. We are so thankful for your generosity.

To our partner agencies: you fight the fight with us daily. We are grateful for your commitment to our mission.

Together this past year because of something you did for or with us, we provided over 10 million meals to our hungry friends and neighbors. It is no small task and we are blessed to have you be a part of the Kansas Food Bank family. Thank you!

In the fall of 2012, the Kansas Food Bank unveiled Bob Box a program designed to fight senior hunger. The program started in 25 Northwest Kansas Counties. During the first year over 1,500 seniors received support from this program. Bob Box is designed to help seniors who experience hunger but are too proud to ask for assistance. These are seniors who would rather go without before seeking help.

We are happy to announce that Phase II, an additional 24 counties in Southwest Kansas are on board. Local county health departments and senior centers help us with distributing boxes to seniors in need in their respective counties.